Leopard seals are one of the strongest predators in the Antarctic. There are approximately 250000 individuals of leopard seal. They are seen or live in both polar and sub-polar water, coasts of Antarctica, Southern coast of Australia (near Tasmania),Tierra del Fuego, Pacific oceans, Atlantic Ocean , subantarctic islands. As shown in the diagram, the red line indicates that they live in the area under the line. They are always on pack ice during summer and island coast in winter; this is they way they live. Leopard seal are solitary they only gather together when it is time to mate which is November to January the Arctic’s summer. And for female leopard seals after 9 months of pregnancy, they are then move to ice pack with a hole that they dug to give birth.. Structural adaptation 1: The body of a leopard seal is dark grey above and light grey below. Black spots grow around their white throats and they usually have a muscular, reptilian-alike head. They have a sinuous neck, highly arched back and powerful flippers. The body of a leopard seal is adapted for living in the water. Their body is streamlined so it helps them to move smoothly in the water with the least resistance. Their strong flippers help them to adapted to life in the water so that they could use them like wings to ”fly” through the water. These help them to move swiftly and quietly in the water without capturing enemies’ attention. The environmental pressure that might given rise to this adaptation is that the predator is fast swimmer so that they need to swim faster in order to escape from them and they need to be able to adapt underwater for long time because global warming I rising the sea level and which means that they need to stay in water longer . Structural adaptation 2: As the habitat of leopard seals can be quite cold, leopard seals are born with two layers of fur. The warm layer which is closest to the seal’s body is short and fine and keeps them nicely insulated. The outer waterproof layer of hair is longer “guard hair”. These two layers of fur keep the leopard seal perfectly warm. This adaptation help the animal by having such a thick coat of fur, leopard seals could stay in the deep cold water for a longer duration and survive in the arctics in order to catch their pror to hide from their enemies. The environmental pressure is that the temperature in the Arctics are extremely cold in order to survive in the Arctics thick coat of fur are required and the water proof hair can let them swim better in these cold situation. Behavioural adaption 1: Since leopard seal’s flippers contain a lot of blood vessels in them, they will need to cool the blood flow and the flipper down to regulate their own body temperature which is called as “thermoregulation”. They cool it by holding out one flipper of the water and cools it by the wind passes it. This allows the flipper to cool down as well as the blood flowing. This behavioural adaption exists due to their long coat of body fur which helps to trap heat during winter or when they are located at cool locations. Hence, more blood vessels are now located in their flippers so as to let them release excessive heat from their body. Another possibility which leads to leopard seals having more blood vessels in their flippers to cool down is global warming. Though modern leopard seals live in cold waters, global warming do affect some of their habitat areas too. When leopard seals’ body temperature rises after rigorous exercises, they will attempt to cool down via their flippers. Behavioural adaption 2: The leopard seal only gets together when it is time to mate. After the gestation period of eight to nine months.But before the leopard seal give birth, the mother leopard seal will eat as much as it can and a lot more than usual then find on an ice pack and dig herself hole that they constructed and then give birth to one leopard seal during the November to December which is the Antarctic summer. The Female leopard seal will stay with the pup and protect the pup until it is strong enough that they are strong enough This adaptation of the female to eat more food then usual, help them by allow them surviving not eating when they are giving birth, and giving birth on an ice pack with a hole, helps protecting the baby leopard seal from its only predator, killer whale. The environmental pressure that might give rise to this adaptation is that baby leopard seal can be eaten easily if they are not give birth on an ice pack with a hole and the environment there is safer. Physiologicaladaptation: Leopard seals’ eyes are adapted to underwater life, where their corneas are flattened and their pupils will open wide to let in light while swimming, The seals’ eyes do not have cones (eye sensory cells) so they are unable to detect colors. Instead, they have rods cell in their eyes which function very well during dim lights. This helps the animal by allowing them to see well underwater even during dim light since they have rods cell in their eye. This also means that they are able to hunt or search more food because this function of their help them to see prey easier and better in any circumstances. The environmental pressure that might give rise to this adaptation is that during the winter of the arctic region experiences extreme darkness this adaptation rise to allow them to survive under this condition.
Leopard seals ( latin name :Hydrurga leptonyx)
**Scientific classification**
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Diagram of where Leopard seal are found:
Source from:http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/global_warming.htm
Leopard seals are one of the strongest predators in the Antarctic. There are approximately 250000 individuals of leopard seal. They are seen or live in both polar and sub-polar water, coasts of Antarctica, Southern coast of Australia (near Tasmania),Tierra del Fuego, Pacific oceans, Atlantic Ocean , subantarctic islands. As shown in the diagram, the red line indicates that they live in the area under the line.
They are always on pack ice during summer and island coast in winter; this is they way they live. Leopard seal are solitary they only gather together when it is time to mate which is November to January the Arctic’s summer.
And for female leopard seals after 9 months of pregnancy, they are then move to ice pack with a hole that they dug to give birth..
Structural adaptation 1:
The body of a leopard seal is dark grey above and light grey below. Black spots grow around their white throats and they usually have a muscular, reptilian-alike head. They have a sinuous neck, highly arched back and powerful flippers.
The body of a leopard seal is adapted for living in the water. Their body is streamlined so it helps them to move smoothly in the water with the least resistance. Their strong flippers help them to adapted to life in the water so that they could use them like wings to ”fly” through the water. These help them to move swiftly and quietly in the water without capturing enemies’ attention.
The environmental pressure that might given rise to this adaptation is that the predator is fast swimmer so that they need to swim faster in order to escape from them and they need to be able to adapt underwater for long time because global warming I rising the sea level and which means that they need to stay in water longer .
Structural adaptation 2:
As the habitat of leopard seals can be quite cold, leopard seals are born with two layers of fur. The warm layer which is closest to the seal’s body is short and fine and keeps them nicely insulated. The outer waterproof layer of hair is longer “guard hair”. These two layers of fur keep the leopard seal perfectly warm.
This adaptation help the animal by having such a thick coat of fur, leopard seals could stay in the deep cold water for a longer duration and survive in the arctics in order to catch their pror to hide from their enemies.
The environmental pressure is that the temperature in the Arctics are extremely cold in order to survive in the Arctics thick coat of fur are required and the water proof hair can let them swim better in these cold situation.
Behavioural adaption 1:
Since leopard seal’s flippers contain a lot of blood vessels in them, they will need to cool the blood flow and the flipper down to regulate their own body temperature which is called as “thermoregulation”. They cool it by holding out one flipper of the water and cools it by the wind passes it. This allows the flipper to cool down as well as the blood flowing.
This behavioural adaption exists due to their long coat of body fur which helps to trap heat during winter or when they are located at cool locations. Hence, more blood vessels are now located in their flippers so as to let them release excessive heat from their body.
Another possibility which leads to leopard seals having more blood vessels in their flippers to cool down is global warming. Though modern leopard seals live in cold waters, global warming do affect some of their habitat areas too. When leopard seals’ body temperature rises after rigorous exercises, they will attempt to cool down via their flippers.
Behavioural adaption 2:
The leopard seal only gets together when it is time to mate. After the gestation period of eight to nine months.But before the leopard seal give birth, the mother leopard seal will eat as much as it can and a lot more than usual then find on an ice pack and dig herself hole that they constructed and then give birth to one leopard seal during the November to December which is the Antarctic summer. The Female leopard seal will stay with the pup and protect the pup until it is strong enough that they are strong enough
This adaptation of the female to eat more food then usual, help them by allow them surviving not eating when they are giving birth, and giving birth on an ice pack with a hole, helps protecting the baby leopard seal from its only predator, killer whale.
The environmental pressure that might give rise to this adaptation is that baby leopard seal can be eaten easily if they are not give birth on an ice pack with a hole and the environment there is safer.
Physiological adaptation:
Leopard seals’ eyes are adapted to underwater life, where their corneas are flattened and their pupils will open wide to let in light while swimming, The seals’ eyes do not have cones (eye sensory cells) so they are unable to detect colors. Instead, they have rods cell in their eyes which function very well during dim lights.
This helps the animal by allowing them to see well underwater even during dim light since they have rods cell in their eye. This also means that they are able to hunt or search more food because this function of their help them to see prey easier and better in any circumstances.
The environmental pressure that might give rise to this adaptation is that during the winter of the arctic region experiences extreme darkness this adaptation rise to allow them to survive under this condition.
Bibliography:
Discovery Communications Inc. (1999). Tour A seal. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from [[http://www.marineparks.wa.gov.au/fun-factshtml|http://www.marineparks.wa.gov.au/fun-factshtml]]
ThinkQuest Junior. (1998). Skeletal Structure. Retrieved June 21, 2010, from http://www.marineparks.wa.gov.au/fun-facts/bottlenose-dolphin.html
Gulf of Maine Aquarium. (2000). Leopard seal Adaptation. Retrieved 1 June 2010, from http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/psealn.html
Wikipedia. (2010). Leopard seal. Retrieved 8 July 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_seal
Wikipedia(2010) . Killer whale Retrieved 8 July 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_whale